Transplantation of corneal endothelial cells using a cell carrier device

Penetrating keratoplasty is currently the only treatment for corneal endothelial dysfunction. Although corneal transplantation has a high success rate, a few problems still remain, such as the limited availability of donor grafts, the change in refraction after penetrating keratoplasty, and the higher chance of immune rejection. In this study, a coated hydrogel lens (Chiron Ophthalmics Inc., Irvine CA, U.S.A.) has been used as a carrier to transplant cultured homologous kitten and rabbit corneal endothelial cells into adult cats and rabbits. The transplantation procedure was the same in both species. Corneal endothelial cells from homologous rabbits or cats were seeded on coated hydrogel lenses and cultured until they reached a complete monolayer with an average cell density of 2,500 cells/mm2. Five weeks before transplantation surgery, corneal endothelial cells were scraped to induce corneal edema. The cell carrier device was then transplanted as follows: a trephine cut (7.7 mm) was made into the stroma, producing an outer corneal plug. The inner cornea was then cut by using a 5.5-mm trephine, and this inner plug was discarded. The implant was inserted and the outer corneal plug was sutured back into place. Corneas cleared completely within 3 days in both rabbits and cats, and stayed clear for an average of 40 days in rabbits and 50 days in cats. The histopathological evaluation of the rejected grafts showed vascularized retrocorneal membrane formation in cats, whereas in rabbits severe cellular infiltration of the stroma with neovascularization occurred without retrocorneal membrane formation.